The Stonebeard Earth Spirit's voice, like the grinding of rocks, still echoed through the vast Stone Hall.
Suddenly, a strange sound seeped out from an unnoticed narrow fissure behind and to the side of the group.
The sound was viscous and slick, like the gurgle of churning mud, mixed with the faint hiss of some liquid dripping and corroding the rock.
The sound grew rapidly louder as it drew closer.
"They're back!" the Cave Dweller leader, Wallclaw, shrieked in terror, his pale face contorting into a tight knot.
He led the other Cave Dwellers, who scattered like startled rabbits, scrambling behind the Earth Spirits and trembling uncontrollably.
The stone faces of the Stonebeard Earth Spirit and the craftsmen instantly tensed.
They dropped their tools and, in perfect unison, snatched up the massive rock shields and menacing stone hammers leaning against the wall.
Their movements, though still possessing the deliberate weight of stone, were astonishingly swift. With the force of a landslide, they rapidly formed an unbreakable defensive line before the fissure.
"It's those slimy things from the Corrosion Cavern!" an Earth Spirit Craftsman growled, his voice laced with suppressed fury. "This time... there seem to be even more!"
Lin Qingyue and Lin Xiyue's eyes sharpened as they instantly adopted combat stances.
Lin Xiyue raised her shield, Holy Light flowing across its surface, and stepped forward to position herself on the flank of the Earth Spirit's defensive line, coordinating with them from a distance.
Lin Qingyue, meanwhile, lowered her Pink Staff slightly, aiming the heart-shaped gem at its tip toward the deep, dark fissure, her gaze piercing through the gloom.
The next second, as if some malevolent faucet had been turned on, a multicolored tide erupted from the fissure!
It was a countless horde of gelatinous creatures, each the size of a washbasin, with translucent bodies containing cores of different colors.
They squirmed and bounced across the ground, emitting a grating splat sound that set one's teeth on edge.
The scanning function on Lin Qingyue's bracelet activated instantly.
[Common Slime Lv. 10-15]
[Points: 15/each]
[Traits: Physical attacks deal half damage. Low chance to self-destruct upon death, causing a small area-of-effect elemental splash.]
[Note: Mobile EXP packs for novice adventurers, but even ants can kill an elephant.]
These were just the vanguard.
The fissure was forced wider as several behemoths, each the size of a young calf, squeezed their way out!
[Large Fire Slime Lv. 20]
[Points: 40/each]
[Traits: Contains unstable Fire elements. Shoots small fireballs. Guaranteed to explode upon death, dealing area-of-effect Fire damage.]
[Large Ice Slime Lv. 20]
[Points: 40/each]
[Traits: Shoots ice cones that apply a Slow effect. Explodes upon death, dealing area-of-effect Ice damage and causing Freeze.]
[Large Lightning Slime Lv. 20]
[Points: 40/each]
[Traits: Unleashes chain lightning. Explodes upon death, dealing area-of-effect Lightning damage and causing Paralysis.]
In an instant, the multicolored slime army swarmed a corner of the Stone Hall.
They squirmed and bounced, radiating elemental fluctuations and the distinct, acrid stench of slime. The scene was both disgusting and strangely "cute"—if one could ignore their lethal danger.
"Form up! Protect the Shaman!"
At Stonebeard's command, the Earth Spirits slammed their rock greatshields to the ground in unison, letting out a thunderous "THUD!"
An earthy-yellow aura spread from beneath their feet, connecting shield to shield. The defensive line's presence grew heavier, more solid.
Their innate stone skin and high Constitution made them the perfect living fortress.
Behind them, several Cave Dweller Shamans stepped forward, adorned with crude feather and bone ornaments and clutching crooked wooden staves.
They trembled as they chanted in shrill voices, the tips of their staves glowing with faint elemental light.
Stone spikes erupted from the ground, shooting toward the slime horde.
Gentle streams of earth-vein energy flowed into the Earth Spirits at the front, mending their bodies.
Earth Spirits tanking at the front, Cave Dweller Shamans supporting from the rear.
This tactic, clearly practiced countless times, barely held back the initial assault.
But the problem was—there were simply too many slimes!
The ranged attacks and death explosions of the Large Elemental Slimes were especially lethal to the slow-moving Earth Spirits.
BOOM!
A Large Fire Slime was smashed apart by a stone hammer, erupting in a violent explosion upon death!
Scorching slime and flames splattered everywhere.
The shockwave sent two Earth Spirits staggering back. Scorched black marks were branded onto their rock-like bodies, and their movements slowed visibly.
"Heal! Heal them now!" Wallclaw shrieked from the rear.
The Cave Dweller Shamans scrambled frantically, but their healing light couldn't keep up with the rate of damage, flickering unsteadily.
Elsewhere, ice shards spat by the Large Ice Slimes made the Earth Spirits' movements even slower.
And the chain lightning unleashed by the Large Lightning Slimes paralyzed several Cave Dweller Shamans on the spot, interrupting their chants and forcing pained grunts from them.
The battle line was being pushed back, step by step.
This defensive circle of Earth Spirits and Cave Dwellers was on the verge of collapse.
Stonebeard smashed a small slime that tried to bypass the line, getting splattered with goo.
He whipped his head around to face Lin Qingyue and Lin Xiyue, who had been observing from the sidelines without intervening. For the first time, his stone-like face showed a hint of desperation.
"Strange powerhouses! Lend us your strength!"
His voice was resonant and powerful, like the clash of metal on stone.
"These twisted elemental creations are eroding the foundation of the 'Foundation Hall'! If they break through, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Its gaze swept over the Lin Qingyue sisters' rather ordinary equipment, and it promised in a deep voice:
"We Earth Spirits have been master smiths for generations. If you help us survive this crisis, we will forge custom weapons and armor for you both, using our finest ores and techniques!"
[Ding! Emergency Support Quest Triggered: "The Raging Gooey Tide"!]
[Quest Objective: Assist the Earth Spirits and Cave Dwellers in holding the defensive line and repelling the Enhanced Slime Tide.]
[Quest Rewards: Friendship with the Earth Spirits and Cave Dwellers, eligibility for custom equipment, Elation Value +200!]
[Host, the real test has begun!]
"Sister!" Lin Xiyue looked at Lin Qingyue, her expression grave, yet her battle spirit surged.
Lin Qingyue took a deep breath. The viscous, seemingly endless wave of slimes before them put pressure even on her.
But... custom equipment?
This was a windfall from the heavens.
She raised her staff, the pink heart-shaped gem at its tip glowing with a light that seemed utterly out of place on the battlefield.
"We accept this quest."
"Charge!"
With a sharp cry, Lin Xiyue unleashed a burst of Holy Light. Her [Devotion Aura] unfurled as she charged with her shield to the most pressured section of the defensive line.
Her [Holy Shield Charge] slammed into several small slimes, knocking them aside and buying a moment of respite for a faltering Earth Spirit.
However, her [Holy Light Strike] and [Hammer of Justice] proved disappointingly ineffective against the slimes. They could only knock the creatures back and apply a weak purification effect, resulting in very low kill efficiency.
In contrast, Lin Qingyue moved like a roaming assassin, weaving through the gaps in the battle line with her Pink Staff.
Thanks to the Black Tassel's "Slimebane" property, her every thrust, flick, and sweep dealt effective damage to the slimes. The "splat" of their cores shattering echoed continuously.
Her movements were fluid and agile as she darted between globs of slime and elemental attacks. With precise strikes from her staff, she eliminated the large slimes attempting to self-destruct or interrupted their ranged assaults.
Her arrival significantly relieved the pressure, especially in clearing out the smaller mobs, where her efficiency far surpassed everyone else's.
However, the sheer number of slimes was overwhelming. No sooner had they cleared a small patch than more surged forward from behind.
The two Rock-Shell Slimes were ridiculously tough. Lin Qingyue's staff strikes only managed to chip off a few stone fragments. Though their advance was slow, there was no effective way to stop them.
The sisters' arrival had only managed to temporarily stabilize the collapsing battle line, holding it at a precarious equilibrium.
The Earth Spirits were still struggling desperately. The Cave Dweller Shaman's mana was nearly depleted. Lin Xiyue's Holy Light lacked killing power, and while Lin Qingyue excelled at single-target elimination, she lacked a decisive area-clearing ability to deal with such a tide.
"This isn't working! We can't outlast them!" Lin Xiyue parried a scorching fireball, a searing heat radiating from her shield. "My Holy Light is barely effective against them—clearing mobs is too slow!"
Lin Qingyue thrust her staff through a Fire Slime, swiftly retreating before it could explode. Her brow furrowed as she scanned the dense, writhing mass of slime advancing toward them.
Her mana and stamina were draining rapidly.
Against such overwhelming numbers, single-target attacks were just a drop in the bucket.
An uncontrollable thought surfaced in her mind: Use the [Venti Trial Card].
The Anemo Archon's power was undoubtedly the perfect counter for such a dense swarm of lightweight enemies. A single Song of the High Heavens could clear a large area, and Wind God's Poem was a divine skill for large-scale crowd control and damage.
As for the cost...
An embarrassing image flashed through her mind: herself squeezed into a tight bard's outfit, chirping "Ehe~" in a boyish voice, her words and actions completely beyond her control...
On a life-or-death battlefield, under everyone's watchful eyes?
Her cheeks flushed, and her toes curled instinctively.
Just then, the left flank was in crisis again!
A Rock-Shell Slime, covered by the electric shocks of several Lightning Slimes, suddenly surged forward. It slammed into an exhausted Earth Spirit, sending both the spirit and its shield sliding backward!
A dangerous gap instantly opened in the defensive line. Several Large Fire Slimes seized the opportunity, swarming toward the Cave Dweller Shaman behind the breach
"Not good!"
Almost on pure instinct, Lin Xiyue completely ignored the enemies before her as Holy Light erupted from beneath her feet!
[Leap of Justice]!
She forcefully changed direction, her silver-armored figure streaking across the battlefield in a blinding arc as she charged recklessly toward the precarious breach!
She had chosen the most direct and dangerous method: using her own body to plug that death zone!
"Xiyue!"
Lin Qingyue's heart skipped a beat.
My sister is trading her life for time!
Almost as a reflex, she raised her hand—
[Power Word: Shield]!
Her mind, sharpened by anxiety, focused with exceptional clarity. Mana flowed smoothly, intending to instantly envelop her sister in the platinum-white protective light.
I can't worry about that anymore!
Social suicide be damned! Solving this crisis is what matters!
Lin Qingyue had made up her mind. As soon as the shield was on her sister, she would immediately use the [Venti Trial Card]
However, just as the familiar light shield materialized around her sister—
Weng—!
[Melody Beyond the Strings Triggered!]
A wave of indescribable melodic fluctuations, utterly distinct from Holy Light, abruptly radiated outward from Lin Qingyue without any warning!
Lin Qingyue: "!!!"
It's over!
Her mind went completely blank.
The social suicide experience... it may have been delayed, but it has arrived!
And at such a critical moment, in this completely unexpected way!
I just hope... I just hope it's not something even more embarrassing than Venti's outfit...